"A Time of Darkness...A Time of Light"
Bart J. Kowallis
September 18, 2008
I am so honored to be with you today. I was originally scheduled to be here in January. Now, I love Rexburg and this campus, but given the choice of being here in January or September…well, I was thrilled when the call came asking me if I could switch to September.
I love the opportunity I have as a faculty member at BYU to work and interact with wonderful young men and women like you. When I stand in front of my classes, I can see and feel the light that radiates from your faces. It is a light that comes because you are good…because you are filled with that spirit that gives light to all men and women.
Today, I want to talk to you about times of darkness, both physical and spiritual, and hope that what I have to share with you will strengthen your testimonies, and perhaps brighten the light that glows within you.
Two of the plagues sent upon Pharaoh and the Egyptians have always struck me as particularly interesting. In Exodus 9:23-34 we read, “And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. Again in Exodus 10:21-22 we read, “And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward the heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days…”
In this account, I would like you to pay special attention to the following phrases:
…thunder and hail…
…fire ran along the ground…
…hail, and fire mingled with hail…
…such as there was none like it…since Egypt became a nation…
…darkness which may be felt…
Most of you have probably witnessed a hail storm before and they are often accompanied by thunder, but how many of you have seen a hail storm mingled with fire, fire that runs along the ground and is described as different from anything seen before? This hail storm, interestingly, is followed some time later (we don’t know from the account how long) by thick darkness…darkness that can be felt?
Another similar account of a “time of darkness” is found in 3 Nephi 8. In verse 5 the account states, “And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land.” This account goes on to outline all of the following physical events that occurred at this time in some particularly descriptive language:
-great storm…such as had never been known
-terrible thunder
-exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known…
-cities burning
-cities sinking into the sea
-cities where the “earth was carried up upon” them
-the whole face of the land was changed
-whirlwinds (tornadoes)
-quaking of the whole earth for three hours
-rocks and earth broken up and scattered
-darkness that could be felt, lasting for three days
The events that occurred in both of these accounts have some similarities and also significant differences. In both cases, there was spiritual and physical darkness, followed by spiritual and physical enlightenment. In the case of the children of Israel, Moses led them out of the servitude and repression of Egypt and into the desert where they were guarded by the Pillar of Fire sent from God and instructed in his ways by a holy prophet. In the case of the Nephites and Lamanites, most of the people had become very wicked, rejecting the light of the gospel. Then, after the darkness, Christ comes, bringing with him light and truth.
The similarities in the physical events between the two accounts include: 1) darkness that can be felt lasting for 3 days, and 2) a great storm with thunder and fire such as had never been seen before. The differences are that the 3rd Nephi account mentions several types of events not mentioned in Exodus, such as shaking of the earth for 3 hours, whirlwinds, and different types of destruction for various cities.
These two events occurred on different continents and at different times, one long before the time of Christ in Egypt and the other in the western hemisphere at the time of his death. Is there some common cause, some natural phenomenon that could explain both occurrences? I believe there is…and the type of event that is needed is a large, explosive volcanic eruption. These photos show the explosive eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State back in 1980 and give us, perhaps, some idea of what one of these eruptions is like. This map shows the extent of the ash that erupted from Mount St. Helens. Focus particularly on the red and orange regions where enough ash accumulated to be measured as over ½ inch thick. Now for comparison, look at the size of the Mount St. Helens eruption with other historic eruptions (some of which I will discuss more later on). Compared to some of these other historic eruptions, Mount St. Helens was small. If we add the prehistoric eruptions from the Yellowstone caldera near your campus, we can see that even these other historic eruptions are dwarfed by the monsters that came out of Yellowstone. The Yellowstone eruptions were like thousands of Mount St Helens erupting at the same time.
Scientists who study these explosive volcanoes have learned that they are capable of producing a wide variety of natural phenomena, which include extremely powerful winds, shaking of the earth for several hours, spectacular lightning and thunder, tsunamis, landslides, and darkness for several days. However, in order to find descriptions that are similar to what the Children of Israel and the Nephites saw and recorded, we must look, not only in the scientific literature, but also in first-hand accounts from those who have actually experienced a similar event.
I do not have time today to go through the hundreds of scientific and eyewitness accounts of explosive volcanic eruptions, but we can highlight a few of them here. Let’s start with a the terrible winds produced by these eruptions.
Wind and Fire
The winds produced by explosive volcanic eruptions are stronger and more devastating than any hurricane. When Mont Pelee erupted in 1902, St. Pierre was a city of almost 40,000 people with a busy port and bustling rum trade. After the eruption only two people were found still alive. F.M. Bullard, in his book Volcanoes of the Earth, describes the power of this rush of ash and volcanic gas on and over the city of St. Pierre.
"All the houses in St. Pierre were unroofed and otherwise demolished either in part or totally. The trees were stripped of leaves and branches down to the bare trunks. The force of the blast is shown by the fact that walls of cement and stone, three feet in thickness, were torn to pieces as though made of cardboard…century-old trees were uprooted, and a statue of the Virgin Mary, weighing at least three tons, was carried 50 feet from its base.”
In addition to the winds created by the volcanic blast, whirlwinds, or tornados, appear to also be a fairly common feature. The hot ash erupting into the air is a concentrated source of heat that causes severe updrafts, providing ideal conditions for the formation of whirlwinds. The heat of the eruption can also create fires, as in this eyewitness account from an Assistant Pursor by the name of Thompson on board the ship Roraima, which was just approaching the harbor in St. Pierre at the time of the eruption of Mt. Pelée:
"AI saw St. Pierre destroyed. It was blotted out by one great flash of fire. Nearly 40,000 people were killed at once. Of eighteen vessels lying in the Roads, only one, the British steamship Roddam escaped and she, I hear, lost more than half on board. It was a dying crew that took her out. Our boat, the Roraima, arrived at St. Pierre early Thursday morning. For hours before we entered the roadstead, we could see flames and smoke rising from Mt. Pelée. No one on board had any idea of danger. Capt. G. T. Muggah was on bridge and all hands got on deck to see the show. The spectacle was magnificent. As we approached St. Pierre, we could distinguish the rolling and leaping red flames that belched from the mountain in huge volumes and gushed high into the sky. Enormous clouds of black smoke hung over the volcano. The flames were then spurting straight up in the air, now and then waving to one side or the other a moment, and again leaping suddenly higher up. There was a constant muffled roar. It was like the biggest oil refinery in the world burning up on the mountain top. There was a tremendous explosion about 7:45 soon after we got in. The mountain was blown to pieces. There was no warning. The side of the volcano was ripped out, and there hurled straight towards us a solid wall of flame. It sounded like a thousand cannon.
"The wave of fire was on us and over us like a lightning flash. It was like a hurricane of fire. I saw it strike the cable steamship Grappler broadside on, and capsize her. From end to end she burst into flames and then sank. The fire rolled in mass straight down on St. Pierre and the shipping. The town vanished before our eyes.
"The air grew stifling hot and we were in the thick of it. Wherever the mass of fire struck the sea, the water boiled and sent up great clouds of steam. The sea was torn into huge whirlpools that careened toward the open sea.”
Lightning and Thunder Such as Had Never Been Known
Another common feature of explosive volcanic eruptions is lightning and thunder. These lightning displays and associated thunder, along with other noises caused by explosions near a volcano, can be extraordinary and unusual. The lightning is caused by the friction between the exploding ash and the air. This friction generates enormous quantities of static electricity that is then discharged as lightning. The thunder from the lightning is supplemented by the explosions from the volcano and the earthquakes that occur almost continuously during some eruptions. Here are a few pictures of these lightning displays over erupting volcanoes. Many eyewitnesses mention this phenomenon. For example, Captain Logan, on board the ship Berbice in the Sunda Straits, recorded the following:
"The lightning and thunder became worse and worse; the lightning flashes shot past and around the ship; fire-balls continually fell on the deck, and burst into sparks. We saw flashes of lightning falling quite close to us on the ship; heard fearful rumblings and explosions, sometimes upon the deck and sometimes among the rigging. The man at the wheel felt strong electric shocks on one arm. The copper sheathing of the rudder became glowing from the electric discharges. Fiery phenomena on board the ship manifested themselves at every moment.”
During the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980, lightning and other electrical phenomena associated with the eruption were so spectacular that many witnesses mentioned them. Beneath any part of the eruptive cloud, radios became useless because of static...some…of the lightning appeared red. It wasn't normal lightning. First, a white dot appeared in the cloud, and then a bolt would shoot out from it. [Other] lightning was in ball form streaking toward the ground, connected neither with the cloud nor the ground...[one eyewitness said that] after the cloud passed overhead, lots of lightning started 600-800 ft in the air and formed big balls, big as a pickup [truck] and [then it] just started rolling across the ground and bouncing.
One additional thing we learn from the descriptions and photos of lightning and thunder around explosive volcanic eruptions is that these phenomena often occur without rainfall, so that the wood for fires could still be exceedingly dry, as mentioned in the Book of Mormon. The reason the fires could not be lit is because of the smothering effect of the falling volcanic ash. Rapidly falling ash can accumulate to several inches thick in a few minutes, even at considerable distances from the erupting volcano. In 1883, when Krakatau erupted, the Beyerinck family was living in a village about 15 miles from the volcano. Their home was the only one still standing after the eruption. Mrs. Beyerinck left this account:
"Someone burst in shouting, 'Shut the doors, shut the doors!' Suddenly it was pitch dark. The last thing I saw was ash being pushed up through the cracks in the floorboards, like a fountain...there was still deep darkness. We couldn't light a fire, as matches went out immediately."
The thunderous noises produced by an eruption may carry for distances of several hundred miles. "In April, 1815, one of the most frightful eruptions recorded in history occurred in the mountain Tambora, in the island of Sumbawa…The sound of the explosions was heard in Sumatra, at the distance of 970 geographical miles in a direct line, and at Ternate in an opposite direction, at the distance of 720 miles. The area over which tremulous noises and other volcanic effects extended was one thousand English miles in circumference."
Shaking of the Earth for Several Hours
The shaking of the earth was observed by the Book of Mormon peoples, but is not mentioned in Exodus. This is probably because the Book of Mormon peoples were much closer to the actual eruption. Shaking for several hours is not unusual in large volcanic eruptions. Several hours of shaking are too long a time period to have been produced by a single large earthquake; however, it is a very reasonable amount of time for the initial stages of a volcanic eruption. We might call this the throat-clearing stage of the eruption. It is when the volcano is cleaning out its vent of the rock and debris that has plugged it up. During this time frequent explosions and earthquakes occur. Once the vent is cleared, the volcano may continue to erupt for several hours or days without additional significant earthquakes. For example, during the eruption of Krakatau the shaking of the earth lasted throughout the night on August 26, 1883 and on into the next morning. The power released in the Krakatau eruption has been estimated to be the equivalent of 20,000 atomic bombs.
Darkness You Can Feel
Darkness caused by the falling ash from the volcano is another feature that commonly occurs. During the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, Sgt. Larry Gamache of the Yakima County Sheriff's Office reported that it was just like midnight in the middle of the afternoon. All the street lights and neon signs turned on. The darkness during the eruption of Bezymianny Volcano in eastern Russia was described as so impenetrably dark that one could not see his own hand, even if brought up to the very face, and the cloud of darkness described as very thick and almost tangibly heavy. Mount Tambora was reduced in height by over 4,000 feet when it erupted in 1815 and the darkness occasioned in the daytime by the ashes in Java was so profound, that nothing equal to it was ever witnessed in the darkest night, "It was impossible to see your hand when held up close to the eye." It is reported that there was total darkness by day for three days within 200 miles of the volcano.
One of the best eyewitness accounts comes from the eruption of Krakatau in 1883. The First Officer on board the ship W.H. Besse recorded his impressions:
"Sunday, August 26, 1883. The day commenced with strong breezes and thick cloudy weather…at 6 a.m. got under weigh…at 4 p.m…the sky [had] a threatening appearance; atmosphere very close and smoky, at 5 p.m. heard a quick succession of heavy [explosions]; the sky was intensely dark…through the rigging also noticed a light fall of ashes. The sun when it rose next morning had the appearance of a ball of fire, the air so smoky, could see but a short distance; at 6 a.m. thinking the worst of the eruption was over…got under weigh, having a fair wind, was in hopes to get out clear of the straits before night; let go starboard anchor, it had gradually been growing dark since 9 a.m. and by the time the squall struck us, it was darker than any night I ever saw; this was midnight at noon, a heavy shower of ashes came with the squall, the air being so thick it was difficult to breathe, also noticed a strong smell of sulphur, all hands expecting to be suffocated; the terrible noises from the volcano, the sky filled with forked lightning, running in all directions and making the darkness more intense than ever; the howling of the wind through the rigging formed one of the wildest and most awful scenes imaginable, one that will never be forgotten by any on board, all expecting that the last days of the earth had come."
Destruction of Cities by Burial, Drowning, Fire, Etc.
There are many ways cities and towns can be destroyed around an explosive volcanic eruption. As I noted earlier, the city of St. Pierre was destroyed by the winds generated in the explosive blast of the volcano. In many eruptions, landslides, volcanic mudflows, and the fall of volcanic ash can destroy cities both near the volcano and even several tens of miles distant from the volcano. Pompeii, for example, was buried in the fall of volcanic ash preserving these casts those who did not heed the warnings to leave. the city of Armero in Colombia was buried under a volcanic mudflow killing 26,000 people in the city. During the 1883 eruption of Krakatau, an island volcano off the coast of Java, 165 villages were completely, and 132 partly, destroyed by tsunami, killing approximately 33,000 people. Waves crashing on the shores near Krakatau reached heights of over 130 feet. One elderly Dutchman saw the wave approaching and left this account:
“The eruption began on the Sunday afternoon. We did not take much notice at first, until…we noticed that Krakatau was completely enveloped in smoke. Afterwards came on the thick darkness, so black and intense that I could not see my hand before my eyes…although Krakatoa was twenty-five miles away, the concussion and vibration from the constantly repeated shocks was most terrifying. Many of the houses shook so much that we feared every minute would bring them down. There was little sleep for any of us that dreadful night. Before daybreak on Monday, on going out of doors, I found the shower of ashes had commenced, and this gradually increased in force until at length large pieces of pumice stone kept falling around. About six a.m. I was walking along the beach. There was no sign of the sun, as usual, and the sky had a dull, depressing look. Some of the darkness of the previous day had cleared off, but it was not very light even then. Looking out to sea I noticed a dark black object through the gloom, traveling towards the shore. At first sight it seemed like a low range of hills rising out of the water, but I knew there was nothing of the kind in that part of the…strait. A second glance, and a very hurried one it was, convinced me that it was a lofty ridge of water many feet high, and worse still, that it would soon break upon the coast near the town, There was no time to give any warning, and so I turned and ran for my life. My running days have long gone by, but you may be sure that I did my best. In a few minutes I heard the water with a loud roar break upon the shore. Everything was engulfed. Another glance around showed the houses being swept away and the trees thrown down on every side. Breathless and exhausted I still pressed on. As I heard the rushing waters behind me, I knew that it was a race for life. Struggling on, a few yards more brought me to some rising ground, and here the torrent of water overtook me. I gave up all for lost, as I saw with dismay how high the wave still was. I was soon taken off my feet and borne inland by the force of the resistless mass. I remember nothing more until a violent blow aroused me. Some hard firm substance seemed within my reach, and clutching it I found I had gained a place of safety. The waters swept past, and I found myself clinging to a coconut palm tree. Most of the trees near the town were uprooted and thrown down for miles, but this one fortunately had escaped and myself with it. The huge wave rolled on, gradually decreasing in height and strength until the mountain slopes at the back of Anjer were reached, and then, its fury spent, the waters gradually receded and flowed back into the sea. The sight of those receding waters haunts me still. As I clung to the palm tree, wet and exhausted, there floated past the dead bodies of many a friend and neighbor. Only a mere handful of the population escaped. Houses and streets were completely destroyed, and scarcely a trace remains of where the once busy, thriving town originally stood.”
If I had time, I could go on and provide you with modern eyewitness accounts of explosive volcanic eruptions that describe every one of the features in the 3rd Nephi and Exodus accounts. But what is the real point here? Today, more than ever, those who want to destroy your testimony, those who want to extinguish the light within you and plunge you into darkness–and there are more than a few who desire to do this–these people are attacking the Book of Mormon and questioning its historicity. So what is so remarkable about the account of a volcanic eruption in the Book of Mormon? No doubt the nay-sayers could propose that Joseph Smith simply read an account of a volcanic eruption and thought it would make a nice backdrop for the destruction he envisioned occurring at Christ's death. They might even point out the similarities to the Exodus account. However, I would answer that the Book of Mormon account is remarkable for its detail and accuracy; that it is quite different from the Exodus account in so many ways; and that such an account would have been impossible for an uneducated, young man to write in 1830. Volcanoes were not well understood nor well documented in the early 1800s. Geology was a science still in its infancy. The first real textbook of geology was published the same year as the Book of Mormon, 1830, by Charles Lyell in Great Britain. But Lyell’s descriptions of volcanic eruptions, as well as the few other accounts available in Joseph Smith's day, are incomplete and do not include all the features found in the Book of Mormon account, features that are now known to regularly occur with large explosive eruptions. For me, this strengthens my testimony of this wonderful book.
I believe that there is an even greater lesson to be learned here, however. When you leave this great university, you will be challenged many times throughout your life by those who do not believe. You may be tempted to join them. If you do, I can promise you that the light of the Spirit that burns so bright within you today, will turn to darkness. It is a darkness that can be felt…felt by you and by those who know and love you. It is a terrible thing to see that light go out in someone you love…and it is not death that extinguishes it…it is sin and doubt and anger and envy. I have seen it happen in the lives of some of my own close friends.
On the other hand, if you keep your testimony strong, if you stay close to the spirit, others will see the gospel light in your faces and it will be a beacon to the world. It is a light that can dispel the darkness. You can be an incredible force for good in this world, just by being who you are.
Forgive me for taking just a moment to emphasize with a personal example the power of your light to those in the world who are not members of the church, and in many cases have never seen young people like you. My wife and I do not watch very much TV; we simply don’t have time. However, we have enjoyed watching American Idol for the past few years. This past year, two wonderful young LDS singers were in the competition. I was so proud of the way they performed. Both Brooke White and David Archuleta represented the church well. Now, I do not know either of these two young people well, but my wife and I have become acquainted with David Archuleta’s family and friends. David is a 17-year-old active member of the Church from Murray, Utah and is normally somewhat shy. He is also a humble, caring, and polite young man. Even with all the accolades he has received, he still finds it hard to believe that anyone really likes to listen to him sing. During the American Idol competition, and as he has toured the country, many, many people have been drawn to him because they saw something in David that they didn’t quite understand. Just like most of you, David glows…one of the judges, during the competition, even commented that he had a “glorious aura” about him. I don’t have time to go into details here, but just with our limited knowledge of events, my wife and I know of a middle-aged woman in New York who was so touched by David that she let two Mormon Elders into her home, not knowing at the time that they belonged to the same faith as David did. She was baptized in May and spent a week with us in July. We know of a talented young man the same age as David from Arizona who grew up without a father and with very little guidance from his mother…but he found a way to get to Utah, to find and be taken in by David’s family and friends. He was baptized in July in Murray at a service we were privileged to attend. We know of a 25-year-old young lady in Mississippi who grew up in an abusive home and knew nothing about religion, but saw something she could not explain in David. She stayed with us for a few days in May and is currently taking the missionary discussions. We know of a 35-year-old man from Texas, a middle-aged lady from Arizona, a young college student in Tennessee, a woman in Canada…all now either investigating the Church or already baptized because they saw something different in David. None of these people fall into the category of young, teen-aged girls that the news media tell us comprise the bulk of David’s fans. To accomplish this, all David has done is be himself…remain true to himself. He hasn’t been preachy or pushy about the gospel; in fact he has hardly mentioned the Church, except when asked specifically about it.
I share this with you because I believe that each of you, by staying true to the principles of the gospel, by allowing your light to shine, can and will have this same kind of impact on those you work with and meet throughout the world. The world today is in darkness and, according to what I read in the news, it’s getting darker. More than ever, your light is needed to shine forth as a rescue beacon for those who are seeking the truth. I know, and I want you to know, that the Book of Mormon is a true record, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God, and that we have a great gift…the light of the gospel that we can and must share with those not of our faith. The Savior said, “Ye are the light of the world.” If you let that light shine, the darkness of the world cannot dim nor extinguish it. It is my prayer that we can all let our “light so shine before men” that those who are in darkness may see.